1. Field
The present disclosure relates to real estate access and, in one particular example, to a location-based real estate access system.
2. Related Art
Traditional real estate sales benefit from a real estate sales agent scheduling showings of a particular property for potential real estate purchasers. The real estate agent must be available at the particular property in order to provide the potential property purchasers access to the property, to provide tours of the property, and to answer questions about the property. This allows the potential purchasers to experience the property in order to determine whether the property meets the potential purchasers' styling, size, layout, and functional needs. When the potential purchaser is committed to purchasing a property, the potential purchaser typically seeks representation by a real estate professional.
By requiring that a real estate sales agent be available at a particular property before potential buyers may view the property, the number of potential property purchasers who are able to view the particular property is significantly reduced. This is especially true during days and times of the week when real estate agents are not available to provide access to property. The reduction in potential purchasers who view the property often results in the property staying on the market for an extended duration, the property selling for less than an optimal sales price, or discouraging the property owner from continuing to pursue a sale of the property. Further, the potential purchasers' inability to conveniently view property results in a significant reduction in the number of properties that the potential purchasers view. This results in the potential purchasers not considering a property for purchase that may otherwise fit their needs.
During open house showings, the number of available agents at a particular property may not be sufficient to address the number of potential purchasers viewing the property. As a result, not all potential purchasers who view the property are able to fully experience the property. For example, potential purchasers who are not able to meet with an agent during an open house will be limited in the information that they can collect about the property and may be limited in accessing certain parts of the property.
One existing option for allowing a potential property purchaser to access a property without requiring a real estate sales agent to be present at the property is to provide a mechanical lockbox at the property location. The lockbox contains the key to the property and the key is accessible only by using an alphabetical or numerical passcode. A real estate sales agent provides potential purchasers with the passcode so that they can access the key to the property. However, disclosing the passcode to potential purchasers brings about additional or unintended liabilities. For example, the potential purchasers can disseminate the passcode to individuals who are unknown to the real estate sales agent and who can then access the property without accountability.
Because the successful sale or purchase of a real estate property often depends on the ability of purchasers to quickly and conveniently experience a property they are considering for purchase, existing systems fail to provide comprehensive techniques for providing real estate access.